Device for preventing accidents on railways.



J. M. LONG. DEVICE FOR. PBEVENTING ACCIDENTS 0N RAILWAYS.Y

APPLIOATION FILED IFI-JBA, 1907.

UNITED STATES JACOB HIGHAEL LONG, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA..

' DEVICE FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTS ON RAILWAYS.

Application filed February Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 23, 1909.

Serial No. 356,273.

To all 'whom it may concern.'

Beit known that I, JACOB MICHAEL LONG, of the city of Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles, in the State of California, have invented a new or Improved Device for Preventing Accidents on Railways, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification, reference being had to the annexed drawings and to the reference letters aud numerals marked thereon.

My said invention consists of a device for opening and closing the contacts in circuits of constant current electrically operated railways.

My apparatus is put into action, when a bumper thereon is touched and moved as hereinafter described, by a wheel of a traveling car, or other vehicle, or train of cars, or by a wheel of an electromotive engine, touching and moving, that is to say, imparting movement and pressure thereto.

It is here explained, that with the view of avoiding repetition and for insuring brevity in the subsequent parts of this specification, that whenever the making of contact and movement by the wheels of any kind of vehicle or engine traveling upon a railway is referred to, that the wheel is always to be understood as one of the Wheels of a traveling car, or other vehicle, train of ears, or of an electromotive or steam locomotive engine, or a iXed, that is to say, non-rolling mechanical contact maker, carried upon a car, train, electromotive, or locomotive engine.

The device constituting my invention, when the mechanical part thereof is moved by a wheel, operates the electrical part thereof, so as to interrupt or close the operative circuit of an electrically operated line of railway, either a line of railway having overhead conductors as part of the circuit, or what are known as third rails as part of the circuit.

Upon the annexed drawings Figure 1, is a side elevation, and part in section of part of the device constituting my invention, the sectional portion being on the line l), l), Fig. 2, showing the relationship of my device to one of the rails of a railway track, also showing a portion of the tread and flange of a railway vehicle, or engine wheel, by the rolling movement of which upon the rail, the bump er and its co-acting parts are operated. Fig, 2, is an end elevation, partly in section, of the bumper portion of my device arranged for adaptationto either a continuous current single track or do ublc track line of railway, shown completely. Fig. 3, is a transverse section of part of the device constituting my invention on the line a., c, F 2, and looking in the direction of the arrow beneath Fig. 2, and arranged for a continuous current electrically operated railway. Fig. 3, is another transverse section corresponding to Fig. 3, but showing only two electrical contact pieces instead of four contact-pieces as in Fig. 3, which lesser number of contact-pieces are sufficient for use upon double track electrical railways. Fig. 4, is a plan of the entire methc track rail, also the contact-pieces, and the wires leading to the circuits of an opening and closing electrical switch in'thc operation of a railway. Fig. 5, is a vertical section on a larger scale of a dashpot, forming part of the mechanically operating portion of my device. Fig. 5, is a horizontal section on 'the line c, c, Fig. 5.

When the tread of the wheel l, of a railway car traveling in one direction passes over the bumper 2, as shown at lligs. l, and 2, it makes contact therewith and rota-tes the bumper 2, and the shaft 3, upon which the bumper 2, is carried, causing thebumper 2, and shaft 3, to be rotated downward through. an angle in the direction wherein the wheel is traveling. The end of the electrical contact piece 4, (carried by metallic connection upon the shaft 3, as shown at Figs. 2, 3, and 4,) at the same time as the bumper 2, and shaft 3, are moved, is thrown into contact with the end of the contact-pieces 5, and this contact completes a circuit of any electrically operated railway.

In the case of a train of cars passing over the bumper 2, (and to prevent a succession of repetitions of the blows of the several wheels of the cars in succession upon the bumper 2,) I use as an integral part of my apparatus a dashpot 6, having therein a piston 7, as shown in detail, and on a larger scale at Figs. 5, and 5a. This dashpot 6, is mounted on a pivot S, Figs. 2, and 3, and the piston rod E), of the piston 7, is connected to a crank pin 1.0, fastened in the crank 1l, keyed or equivalently secured. to the end of the shaft 3, all as shown at Figs. 2, 3, and fl. The dashpot (i, contains oil, and the piston 7 ,is formed with holes 7b, as shown in the enlarged views Figs. 5, and 5a, extending vertically through it, so that when the crank 11, and crank pin 10, are moved by the tread of the wheel l, movi ing the bumper 2, into its lowest position, the

chanical device showing its attachment to Vthe oil in th lower part of .holes in the piston 7, to the upper L piston rod 9, and piston 7, being correspondingl moved downward within the dashot i i 6, while 'at the same time the dashpot t?, moves upon its pivot 8, into any angalar position corresponding with the movement of the crank pin l0, and crank il, communicated from the bumper 2, through the rotatahle shaft 3. hove the holes 7b, in the piston 7, there is a dish valve 7 a, wherein there are two small holes 7, and the litt of this i ve 7a, is limited by the two pins 7 d, each or w has a head on either end. The displacement oi the oil beneath the piston '.7, in the das got 6, at the instant the piston 7, is moved downward in the manner hereirheiiore descrited, causes the dasnpot 5, 1to press upwardV against the valve 7 and litt the valve, thereby permitting the oil to pass through the holes 7b, in ieloody ot'l 7, to the upper part ci the dashpot, say, to above the piston 7, which. a" position of the oil vtends to hold down the piston 7, in the lower part oi" the dashpot 6, and through the connections et the piston 7, namely, the piston rod 9, the cranir pin i0, the crank ll, and shaft 3, t, maintain the bumper 2, in its lowest position, that is to say, in the position whereinto it is depressed rotatably by the passage over it ol the tread oi" a wheel, or the position shown in dotted lines in 1rig. l, wherein upper centr-ai part or nose oi the hamper 2, does not rise above the level ci the rail l2. Unless means be provided for returning in the daslpot 6, to its'norinal positi Lhe piston over the bumper 2, the bumper 2, tf' 7, and dashpot 6, would remain in tion wherein these parts are heir.v sage of the oil in the dashpot 6,

dashpot. This arrangement meets the requirement of avoiding a succession oi percussive blows upon the bumper 2, during passage ot the several wheels ot a train of cars, but as it is also necessary tl `it after the several wheels of a train of cars have passed over the bumper 2, that the bumper 2, and the rest oi' the apparatus should. automatically return to their normal positions to he in 'readiness for being operated by one oi' tne wheels of a succeeding traveling car, vehicle, or by a train of cars, or by an clectroniotive engine, to enable the vfunction of the entire apparatus constituting my invention to he eliected at each contact ol a wheel ot' a car, vehicle, or of a train ol cars, or ol" an electromotive engine, my invention is equipped with means for automatically returning the bumper 2, and the connected apparatus hereinbefore described to their normal position. The means which l employ for this purpose consists of spiral springs 13, and le, respectively, the upper and inner end of each of `which springs are fastened into holes l5, and

@rasee l5, in the bumper 2 as shown at Figs. l, and the lower ends or the springs 13, and la, being fastened to eye-bolts "i7, and i8, which are again fastened adjustably the lugs 19, and 20. The eye-bolts 17, and i8, are itted with screw adjusting set nuts 2l, and 22, as shown at Figs. l, 2, and et.

l'vlien the wheel which stril the bumper is moving in the direction ci' the arrow Y, Fig. l, the bumper 2, is rotated with its shaft and the connections the said sha'l't rotate in the saine direction as that vwhich arrow Y, points in, so that the spring 14, is stretched, andthe spring 13, has its tension diminished. rifhe ol'cot ci the spring le, being placed in increased tension is to pull the bun-'iper 2, slowly haelt into its normal position. This pull ol` the spring le, being winiuunicated by the connections hereinl `Ycre described, n niely, the shaft 3, the

cf il, the cran `Jin i0, and piston rod 9,

t piston 7, in the dash `ict 3, compels the o' uatcd ahove the visten 7, as the piston 7, s moved upward by the acting t L. to close the disk o be inessed slowly J e sea-u in the piston 7, 4

trough, he holes in the piston 7, to

p ol' the cashpot that is to say,

art thereof which is situated below 7, ant. in th manner and hy these antw/r L ind toefcntire apparaf' 51s returned slowly to its fd to the device or apyuting my invention, it .is cx used upon a single tracl:

construct the device and e', as shown r t inper 2, oll the device, on a single track railway, is operated gnate directions by the passage olf oars, vehicles, trains, or engines, as these travel in both directions upon the saine rails in a Aglev line ot' railway, whereby it becomes essential that .in whichever direction said icles, trains, or electroniotive engines iat the leading wheel of said cars, vehic es, trains, or electroinotivc engines, shall operate upon the'bumper 2, in either direction, and that as these directions are necessarily opposite to each other, it i'ollows pieces i-l, and 4, and providing two contact-A pieces 5, and 5, as shown in. Figs. 3, and Ll, instead ci one as shown in Fig, 3a, the current fill be diverted by means or either contact through the electrical current which my apparatus operates to open or close. lt ma f also sometimes be necessary in order to allow car or other railway vehicle, train or electromotive engine, to run l backward a short distance on a double track railway that by duplicating the number of contactl4 after my device or apparatus has operated to close a circuit, to use my device with the double contacts hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 2, 3, and el, but unless the backing operation, such as is now herein referred to, be essential, it is not necessary in such case to use more than one pair ol' contacts, either 4, 4Q or 5, 5', in the appaiatus shown and hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 2, 3, and Ll, on a double track railway. r"his part of the device as constructed with a single pair of contacts only, is shown at Fig. 3, and it is o'ierated by the bumper device in all other respects precisely as the operation of such bumper device is already described with reference to Figs. 2, 3, and il.

As shown at Figs. 2, 3, 3a, and d, the end of the rotatable shaft operated by the bumper, also vthe electrical contact-pieces carried upon the bumper shaft, the crank, the crank pin, the piston and piston rod, and dashpot, are indicated as being contained within a box or chamber which is not necessarily of any special construction, and which may be made of iron, timber, or other suitable material, and ,by preference filled with oil.

l claim as my invention.

l. A device comprising a bumper upon a rotatable shaft, said rotatable shaft being in mechanical and electrical operative union with one of therails forming part of the main circuit of a railway operated by continuous electrical current, an electrical contact piece upon said rotatable shaft, said contact piece alternately making and breaking contact with an open terminal of an electrical circuit, slowly operating springs for restoring the bumper, its connected parts, and the electrical contact piece to their normal position, the whole adapted to be set into operation by mechanical contact and movement with pressure of part of a traveling car, vehicle, train, and locomotive engine with said bumper.

2. A device comprising a bumper upon a rotatable shaft, said rotatable shaft being in both mechanical and electrical operative union with one of the rails forming part of the circuit of a railway operated by continuous electrical current, an electrical contact piece upon said rotatable shaft operating to alternately make and break contact with an open terminal of the main electrical. circuit of such continuous current railway, slowly operating springs for automatically restoring the bumper and its connected parts to the normal position, after being moved out of their normal position by a traveling car, vehicle, train and electromotive engine.

3. A device comprising a bumper upon a rotatable shaft, said rotatable shaft being in both mechanical and electrical operative union with one of the rails forming part of the main circuit of a railway operated by continuous electrical current, an electrical contact piece on said rotatable shaft, said contact piece alternately making and breaking contact with an open terminal of an electrical circuit, springs for restoring the bumper and the contact piece to their normal position, a pivoted dash-pot, a piston and piston rod in said dash-pot, a piston with openings therein, a piston rod, an opening and closing valve above 'the openings in said piston, said valves openings of ess area than the area of the openings in the piston, liquid in said dash-pot, the whole device adapted to be set into operation by mechanical contact and movement with pressure, of a wheel and equivalent part of a traveling engine, car, vehicle, and train upon said bumper.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal at the city of Los Angeles aforesaid, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JACOB MICHAEL LONG. las] Witnesses Si'. JOHN DAY, J. D. Com'. 

